The Avatar For The Job
by Celestical
Summary: Sokka always thought it was a good thing the Avatar cycle happened to be at the Air Nomad stage, and in particular with Aang. Because Sokka is perceptive despite the contrary, and he sees things that others always miss.


**Author's Note:** One of my favourite things about A:TLA, other than the crazy attention to detail spanning all three seasons, is how they make all the characters, no matter how small or how little time we spend with them, come alive with personalities. And going straight into The Legend of Korra made me think back on how different each Avatar is. And this was born.

* * *

Sokka always thought that it was a good thing the Avatar cycle happened to be at the Air Nomad stage and not, say with Earth Kingdom [or, even worse, the Fire Nation]. Because as much as the Avatar was the same soul reincarnated [over and over and over], it was fairly obvious that each of them would have reacted differently to a hundred years of war.

Roku, despite being Fire Nation and [to take it a step further because things could _always_ be taken another step further] best friends with the Fire Lord didn't actively assist in continuing the war, but he also didn't do much to prevent it. He had laid down an ultimatum, in a way, which based on Aang's descriptions, sounded just plain _awesome_, and then trusted Sozin to abide by it. And when that went as well as could be expected, Roku did his best - in another scene that sounded just as awesome - but by then it was too late.

And while Sokka doesn't have any hard feelings for Roku [because he was, and has been, a huge help via his spirit, and they can use all the help they can get right now], he does sometimes wish Roku had done a _little_ more, despite the fact that he could have been a lot worse as a Fire Nation Avatar. But Sokka can be realistic when needed [despite all claims to the contrary] and he knew that Roku had done what he could, it just wasn't enough.

Kyoshi had the strength and will to go up against the Fire Lord, and wouldn't have had any qualms about taking Ozai down by any means necessary to save the world. There would have been no need to look for another method to beat him, no existential crisis of the world versus your beliefs [although sometimes, when they're all wary and tired, Sokka wonders if there would have been a need for another invasion at all; if Kyoshi would have managed to finish all of this on the day of the eclipse]. But then he thinks about what happened with Chin the Conqueror, about the years of misunderstandings that flourished afterwards and how that was likely the tip of the iceberg. And Sokka thinks about how all these years people [like his father] never tried a head on attack because it would have been useless, how they got so close to the Fire Lord by thinking, planning, sneaking and he silently sends up a thanks that Kyoshi isn't the Avatar now.

Kuruk would likely have had the best chance, being Water Tribe and fire's natural opposite. He had lived in times of peace, so there's little on how well he dealt with war but Sokka was sure he would have done great [and no, Sokka tells himself, it's not all fueled by Water Tribe pride, at least not entirely]. But he had become obsessed with finding Koh and restoring Ummi's face, and while that was an admirable thing for sure [defending a loved one can be anything but], it really didn't bode all that well for the world in general.

So Sokka was glad the Avatar was an Air Nomad who had hundreds of teachings to draw on, and who would always be able to bend [because while water, earth and fire can be kept away, something they've learned the hard way too many times] air is needed to live and is always there.

But more than that, Sokka was glad that said Air Nomad was Aang, who has an amazing ability to pick up bending [and yes Sokka's aware he's learned this a thousand times before, and that yes, Aang's teachers are bending prodigies themselves, but it's still pretty damn impressive for a twelve year old. This he'll argue for days on end].

Aang, a child who made a mistake in the past [and continues to make them, to a smaller extent, even now, but Sokka accepts those with ease because he remembers, unlike others, that Aang is still learning so much] but who accepts his faults and does his best, even when the odds are insurmountable in front of him. Aang, who Sokka sees glancing up at the stars with tired eyes and an even more tired frown [and which will be a secret he takes to the grave with him, because Aang, he knows, hates to think he's being a burden], who during the day is hyper enough to wear out even poor Momo. And while Sokka will admit that Aang gets side-tracked far too easily [and far too often for Sokka's liking because Sozin's comet is nearly here and there's still so much to do] Sokka will admit that it's part of Aang's charm, something that makes him uniquely Aang.

So when he watches Aang practice firebending in the sweltering heat, overcome his inhibitions with earthbending [and Toph's style of teaching it] and ignores his protesting muscles as he refines waterbending in the chilly lake, it just reaffirms what Sokka knew all along: that Aang may be one Avatar among a thousand, but he's the Avatar whose best suited for the job.


End file.
